Tuscany, Italy
Located in Alta Maremma in Tuscany, Dario Marinari and Ezequiel Allassia bring us, I Forestieri. After mastering their craft at a number of larger estates throughout Italy and France, the two “forestieri” (foreigners in Italian) discovered old vines ranging from 250m to 600m in the hills of Roccatederighi and Roccastrada. Most of them abandoned, the plots lie on a variety of terroirs (schist, clay, sand, limestone, etc.)
Natural fermentation and maturation are carried out in concrete vats or amphorae. The reds are vinified in whole bunches, a rarity in the region. Like the ancient Tuscan growers of the region, white grape varieties are sometimes blended with reds, which brings a beautiful aromatic quality.
This cuvée comes from old vines of Sangiovese, Ciliegiolo and Alicante Nero grown on a unique terroir of schist and rhyolite. The result is a refined wine with a vibrant colour. Prolonged ageing in amphora and concrete reveals aromas of cherry, liquorice, and oregano. The palate is agile and the tannins supple, rounded out by 12 months' bottle ageing. I Forestieri, the estate's eponymous cuvée, bears witness to the two friend’s quest to express the purity of their terroir with great finesse.